Marx in the News: McDonald's New Products

On Saturday, February 13, The Chicago Tribune had an article on McDonald’s new products that will hit stores in the summer. Their new products are Frappuccinos and fruit smoothies. As of right now, they are promoting these products to the people at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. McDonald’s is trying to draw in new customers outside of the traditional breakfast, lunch, and dinner mealtimes. The frappes will cost $2.29, $2.79, and $3.29 for each of the sizes. Those prices are considerably lower than the cost of Frappuccinos at Starbucks. They are also competitions with Jamba Juice on their smoothies.

Karl Marx states that with an increase to production there is a decrease in wages. He argues that capitalists, when following their self-interest, exploit their workers. What I mean by self-interest is gaining profits and beating out their competition. McDonald’s is trying to eat away at Starbucks and Jamba Juice’s profits. The company is doing this at the expense of their workers. They only pay them minimum wage, and now, they are going to have to do more work then before. Karl Marx would state that the company is dividing the labor, making the wage so low.

These workers are not being paid for the value of their work, but their time. As I stated earlier they have to do more work for the same wage. Not only do the workers have to serve their normal products of hamburgers, fries, ice cream, etc; now they have to serve extra drinks. The company is reaping all the benefits, while the workers are not. What Marx would say is to give the workers some of their value back. Marx states that under capitalism, people become estranged from their product, activity, and themselves. If the value is given back to the worker, it can restore their dignity back and become more human.

Locke in the News - Creating Personal Ice Rinks

On Saturday January 30, the Chicago Tribune had an article about homemade ice rinks. James Herbst is a man that has made his own ice rink in his backyard. He loves it when the weather is cold in order to maintain his rink. He also allows other kids from the neighborhood to join in the fun. He says that other parents are now competing with him to see who has the biggest ice rink. The article states that the, “reason for the popularity may be a lack of public alternatives,” (Vikki Ortiz Healy 2010, pg. 2). Lately, budget cuts in suburban parks and recreation departments have forced many public outdoor rinks to close.

According to John Locke, property is the labor that one does. The dads of these suburbs own these ice rinks since they are the ones that created it. The labor they did gives them the right to own these rinks. Since we own our own body anything we create with our hands is rightfully ones property, argues Locke. Virtue comes from the work an individual does. The dad seems to have virtue because he loves to maintain the ice rink for his kids. John Locke would also state that they are not wasting their backyard in the winter. During the winter months, people hardly use their backyards. In this sense, it would seem that we are putting our backyards to waste. Now, that people are making ice rinks in their backyards they are fully using their property. This property is also limited, due to weather. Locke would state that it is temporal because ice would eventually melt.

I believe we are wasting our backyards in the winter. According to Locke, if we are not productive, then it is considered stealing; we were meant to be industrious. I’m glad some people still use their backyards productively. I am not saying all people should build ice rinks in their backyards, but should use it for something during the winter. Making a snowman and snow angles would count in being productive in Locke’s mind. So, go outside and have fun with your backyard.